Ok I am confused Power Protection

[MdMike]

I have a new Elkridge 5th wheel camper. It has 50 amp service. We only have one A/C unit, a 32 inch TV, Fridge, gas/Elect. water heater and Micro.

I have stayed at places that only have 30 amp service. I know I can adapt down for power. I know I can not run everything at once as well, so shutting off the A/C to run micro etc is no issue and I can run the fridge or water heater on gas as well.

My question is this: Will a 50 amp unit such as the TRC work if I have to drop down to a 30 amp service? Or will I need a 30 amp protection as well? not an electrician obviously and I really want to protect my camper/appliances from damage.

Anyone have any input?

 

[TXBobcat]

Welcome to the forum..

You are using a 50a to 30a adapter to a 30a shore power. If you put a surge protector on the 50a plug of the adapter and plug your 50a power cord into the surge protector you will be good to go. You do not need a 30a surge protector. Just be sure you use a surge protector. If you install a built in surge protector all you have to do is use the 50a to 30a adapter like you are now. There are two surge protectore Progressive and Surge Guard, both are good.

Not to change the subject but the two things that are very important to us at all times is a surge protector and a water regulator, even if it is the cheap barrel type. You might look up a Watts N55B.

Hope this helps
BC

 

[Eddhuy]

My Prowler only needs 30 AMP service to operate but is wired for 50 AMP service as well. That is very convenient in case you decide to add a second AC unit.

 

[MdMike]

Thanks TXBob and Ed.... I will be getting the 50A Surge Protection.... Have the water side covered, just the electrical side had my head spinning! Thanks again for the input!!

 

[wyleyrabbit]

We installed a hard-wired TRC Surge-Guard into our BigHorn, and we went with the 50 amp unit (model#34560). We are protected even when we plug into 30A. I'm not certain, but I don't think you can install a hard-wired 30A surge protector if your rig was built for 50A. Looks like Camping World has them on sale right now. I liked the idea of a hard-wired unit, because nobody can steal it (easily...would be a "mission-impossible job needing the theme music playing"). We were going to get the 40240, because I really like the idea of a display...but it was much more expensive and not on sale, so I decided to go with the cheaper unit.

My dealership quoted me 5 to 7 hours of labour to install one of these. I'm reasonably handy, and did it myself in about 45 mins. Yet another reason I don't really like my local dealership, seems they keep trying to take me for a ride. If I had to do the job a second time, it would probably take me even less time.

The install is actually pretty easy. Disconnect EVERYTHING, figure out where you're going to install. I put ours behind the basement wall under the steps near our (relocated and upgraded) converter.Simply cut the big 50 A wire, inside will be 4 colour-coded wires, strip a bit of insulation on each of these and insert into the correctly coloured hole on the surge protector. Make sure you have the power direction correct (put the "LINE" side to the wire coming from outside, the "LOAD" side goes to your trailer). Screw all the wires down, check, double-check, and then check your work again, and then you're done. With this unit when you connect to shore power, there's about a 2.5 minute delay before it allows power to your rig, after which you'll hear a loud click when it sends power through.

Hope this helps!

 

[Crumgater]

We also have a 50A rig, but always plug into either 30A at campgrounds or 20A here at home. We bought a 30A surge protector, because that's what they had on the shelf. We hardly ever use A/C, and use the microwave even less (heating water for via coffee in the morning is all it gets used for). So, we've never had a power supply problem - even running both the fridge and water heater on electric (water heater we keep both gas and electric on).

 

[MdMike]

I bought a Surge Guard portable 50 Amp protector, a plug in volt meter and a lock box.... So that should take care of it, I hope!

 

[TXBobcat]

I bought a Surge Guard portable 50 Amp protector, a plug in volt meter and a lock box.... So that should take care of it, I hope!

Hay Mike. I bought one of the lock boxes for the surge guard. Never use it. Just think, if someone wants the surge guard and you have it locked to your power cable on the trailer that is plugged into the trailer they will take both cable and surge guard. If your trailer power cable is connected inside the trailer and you have it locked to the surge guard they will cut your cable and take both.

Just like in your basement. If they want into it they will and if they want your surge guard they will take it. In fact if someone wanted my surge guard they would probably take both mainly for the copper in the cable.

FWIW
BC

 

[wdk450]

For a better understanding of the 20 and 50 amp services I would look at this website and click on the 30 amp and 50 amp tabs: http://www.myrv.us/electric/
Note on the 50 amp service page, the 2nd sentence in the 2nd paragraph says RV 50 amp service has TWO 120 volt, 50 amp hot wires and a common neutral (return). The RV 30 amp service just has one 30 amp, 120 volt circuit.
So the "50 Amp" RV service really has 100 amps capability versus the 30 amp capability of the RV 30 amp service. Lots more juice!
Your 50 amp to 30 amp adapter ties your RV wiring two - 120 volt legs together, in parallel.

 

[porthole]

Twice the amperage - almost 3.5 times the wattage available. May as well wire it once, with the 50.

2 - 50 amp legs = 100 amps = 12,000 watts (120*50*2=12,000)
1 30 amp leg = 30 amps = 3600 watts (120*30*1=3600)